You know, supporting Israel does not mean supporting a right-wing approach to foreign policy. In fact, I would suggest that neocon backers who comprise the 'Israel lobby' are deeply dishonest about that. Their behavior, supporting American wars based on lies, has no ideological coherence exception being pro-lying. Furthermore, they are putting Israel's existence at risk by supporting an Israeli government that is manifestly against the tough and peaceful legacy of Yitzhak Rabin.
It's also sad though expected for reporters to exclusively quote old neocon Jews when talking about the American Jewish vote. Here we have David Silverman doing just that. Read this selection of quotes, who are all from older Lieberman-supporting Jews, and one older Lieberman-supporting Irishman.
"It does present a dilemma," said Steve Grossman, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee."If you consider yourself first and foremost part of the pro-Israel community, you will stick with Joe Lieberman," said Grossman, who also is a past president of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. "If you're so overwhelmingly convinced that ending the war as soon as possible is of paramount importance, I could understand why you would find Joe Lieberman a candidate you could no longer support."
....
"I find the behavior of a large segment of the Jewish community to be reprehensible and outrageous," said John Droney, a former chairman of the state party who is advising Lieberman to run as an independent. "When he's in trouble like this, they all ought to rally to him. It's too bad that you have to listen to an Irish-American to realize that you've got to support your own home cooking."
....
"The people who are doing this have no concern for Israel or issues of concern to the Jewish community," said Dr. Ben Chouake, president of Norpac, a nonpartisan, New Jersey-based political action committee. "This is an example of an extreme left that really is looking to put a scalp on their wall to show that they have power."
....
Democrats in general are missing the bigger picture, said Alan Solomont, a Boston-based Jewish fund-raiser who headed funding for John Kerry's 2004 bid for the presidency.
"The left in our party who favor a different approach to Iraq are turning their fury on Joe in a way that I don't think is particularly helpful," Solomont said. "I differ with Lieberman on Iraq but I don't think Democrats can afford to break ranks right now in the face of extreme right-wing control of the entire federal government."
....
"I don't think he's spoken out effectively to things the mainstream Jewish voters feel," said Richard Greenfield, publisher of the Connecticut Jewish Ledger.
The single foreign issue addressed on Lamont's Web site is Iraq. Israel merits a passing mention: "Israel is no safer" since the Iraq war, the site says.
Steve Rabinowitz, a strategist who advises Democrats and Jewish groups, anticipated a split if Lieberman loses the primary.
Of course, the polling that Silverman cites is that Jewish voters support Lamont 50-41. You would think that Silverman could have found one Jew for Lamont.
But nah. Good Jews support Lieberman.
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